The Fire You Ignited
by SillyGirls
Summary: An unexpected accident leaves Quinn vulnerable to all its reprecussions and the last person she wants to find out is Rachel.


**Title:** The Fire You Ignited  
><strong>Author:<strong> OhSillyGirls  
><strong>Rating:<strong> R? Just to be on the safe side  
><strong>AN:** I apologize and take responsibility for any mistakes you might find. Also, this prologue skips time pretty rapidly but if there's anything you want to know more about let me know and I can either write an interlude or make sure I incorporate the answer later on in the story.

**Prologue:**

Lima was relatively small compared to other principal cities but the core of it all, the people, weren't all that different. Lima had its fair share of ignorance, stereotypes and secrets but there was just as much honesty, acceptance and trust. Every social circle functioned differently no matter the age and it was what they learned through those circles that shaped their perceptions. The main difference between Lima and any major city was the fact that its location and population formed a community of folks who didn't feel they needed change. It's where they grew up, it's what they knew, and it's where they chose to remain. Families began, continued and ended there. If someone moved into town they unknowingly signed a contract to join the cycle. So it went on and on.

Most, if not everyone, knew each other. Their weekend get together's were filled with talk of how their children would continue their legacy, albeit a conventional one. A life many of them succumbed to based on the feeling that they had no other choice. It didn't matter though because even if it wasn't their ideal lifestyle they felt secure and wanted that security to be felt by future descendents. The Anderson's and Hudson's were an example of that. As stories went, their families had been friends since before anyone could remember. All eager for the day that destiny would kick in and have both finally merge. To say it was a happy day for them when that wish came true would be an understatement. Chris and Carol were the epitome of a childhood romance. Bottle buddies as babies, best friends as kids, high school sweethearts and eventual husband and wife. Chris joined the Marines as they graduated but returned right after he was honorably discharged. Carol waited for him and that wait paid off as they reminisced about how their life reached the point which they were in. They were like any couple. They had their arguments but stuck through the ups and downs. They discussed the idea of moving and starting a family. They spoke of dream careers and homes but life wizzed by and they remained in Lima. Chris became the town's Sheriff while Carole happily took on the role of housewife awaiting the birth of their first child. They lived just as their families had hoped for. They had their friends, plans, and each other. Their child would grow as they did and the connection between them, their son and their hometown would be as strong as they had felt it.

As far as work went, Chris put in 120% of his effort. If there was a late night emergency he was the first to appear. Forget sending the deputies his role and responsibility was the safety of his town and of his family. Now that he had a son on the way his motivation to provide only intensified. Carol didn't like it but accepted it.

A reported robbery had him rush out after midnight. Lima, for the most part, was uneventful in the crime department. There was always the occasional teenager doing something to increase popularity points. Steal a pack of Pepsi, some Twinkies, maybe a bit of candy and done deal but that wasn't the case.

Chris parked to the side of the road approaching the convenience store with caution. From where he was standing it seemed that the place was undisturbed. It seemed like a repition of previous and all to familiar nights. It'd been another call, another teen, another explanation to parents. He inwardly sighed, "When will they learn."

Chris' senses were still on alert but his mind veered off to an earlier conversation that had taken place with his long-time friend Leroy. They'd both been joking about the future wedding between his son and Leroy's daughter. Carol and Leroy's partner, Hiram, mocked them for becoming their parents. He smiled to himself remembering how each duo teamed up against each other.

"Oh Leroy, stop it. Don't you remember how your parents had predicted you'd marry little Rosy Duggins."

Leroy's usually dark complexion paled at the mention.

"Little Rosy Duggins huh? Now I just have to hear about that!"

"Carol don't you dare!" Leroy warned still shell-shocked "He'll never let me live it down."

"Well it serves you right. These poor kids aren't even born yet and you're already looking for a wedding planner."

"Don't be ridiculous." he scoffed "We've barely decided what cake we'll be getting." He turned toward Chris and they both broke out in laughter. Hiram and Carol couldn't help but feel amused. There was never a dull moment when the four of them got together but that didn't stop them from at least _attempting _to look displeased.

As their laughter began to die down both their husbands straightened up their posture, wiped the tears from their eyes and cleared the throats.

"If you two keep looking at us like that this is going to be a never-ending laugh riot." Chris told them.

Carol's jaw dropped and Hiram snapped his attention to Leroy.

"Uh-oh I'm in trouble."

Chris looked at Carol who was now sending a glare his way. He threw his hands up in surrender "Okay, okay, how about we compromise?"

Hiram and Carol turned toward each other hiding both their smug smiles from their husband's. In a flash they both turned back with similar expressions of vexation.

"We're listening."

Chris was caught by surprise. He really hadn't thought anything through. He turned to Leroy for help but only got a shrug in return.

"You're the worst team mate ever" he whispered.

"You're the one who thought it'd be a good idea to negotiate." Leroy whispered back.

"Yeah! To save you from sleeping on the couch."

"You're trying to save yourself from the couch!"

"I-"

Chris was cut off by the sound of Carol clearing her throat. He sent her a nervous smile and motioned for just one more second. He grabbed Leroy's shoulder and turned him so they were in a two person huddle.

"Okay, so neither one of us wants to sleep on the couch?" Chris nodded, "So then what's the plan?"

"Well we both know we're going to win. So we really don't have much to lose."

After a few seconds of silence, "I got it!" Leroy all but shouted.

"Well...?" Hiram inquired.

"If in the future we turn out to be right."

"We will be." Chris fake sneezed earning him an elbow in the side from Leroy, "Sorry."

"As I was saying, if in the future one of us turns out to be right the winners will get to go on a mini-vacation of their choice while the losers have to handle all of the wedding madness."

"That's the best you could come up with?"

"It's not like you could do any better!"

"AND," Chris pitched in "The winners will get ultimate bragging rights."

Hiram looked at Carol. Carol sent him a nod before he spoke up, "And are these deals negotiable if say, in the future, we want to tweak them."

"Sure but I think the deal is pretty solid why would you want to change them?"

"What if there is no wedding madness. What if our daughter is actually very passive?"

Leroy sputtered out a chuckle before straightening back up with an apologetic smile.

"What was so funny?"

"Nothing."

"I wanna know the joke."

"Well it's just, if our daughter turns out as, uh, you know if she picks up on your personality, Marvelous personality I might add, I don't think madness is even close to describing what the wedding might be."

"Is that so?"

Leroy looked worried. Chris was glancing back and forth between the couple. Carol and Hiram looked at each other once again. "So the deal is negotiable right?"

"Whatever you want!"

Hiram smiled, please with himself. "Deal."

"By the way, you're sleeping on the couch." Hiram stated.

"Bu-"

"So are you." Carol pointed.

"Then what was the point of compromising?"

"So that we could get what we want," she shrugged.

Chris laughed at the memory. That was probably one of the worst deals ever but he knew it'd been all in good fun. He was a few feet away from the entrance of the store when a sharp pain to his back registered in his mind he could feel it spread throughout his side. The memory he'd been focused on continued. Leroy was approaching Hiram with a smile on his face. He knew it wouldn't be long before the frown Hiram was fighting so hard to keep in place disappeared. His wife walked toward him, the glimmer in her eyes told him she'd been joking about the couch.

"You two are scary together."

"Hiram and I make a good team."

"Leroy's lacking in that department."

"I heard that!"

"Am I really getting the couch?"

"That's just gonna be kept a mystery till' we get home."

He glanced over at Leroy and Hiram both of them were laughing making their way toward the couch.

"They're going to name her Rachel."

"Rachel?"

"Mhm."

"Rachel Berry, it does have a nice ring to it doesn't it?"

"I thought so too."

"Have you thought of any names?"

"I like the one we talked about the other night."

"Finn?"

"Yeah," she responded "Finn, Finn Hudson."

"So Finn and Rachel then?"

"If that's what they choose."

"C'mon if he looks anything like his old man she won't be able to turn him down."

Carol stepped back and took a good look at him. "If he looks anything like his old man I don't think he'll get enough attention to be turned down."

"You think you're really funny don't you?"

"Mhm.

The next thing Chris remembers is flashes of bright lights. There was no pain. All he heard was voices. Unbeknownst to him Carol was right by his side squeezing his hands and pleading for him to be strong. The last image he had of his wife was the way he had left her that night. Sleeping soundly in their bedroom. He smiled to himself before everything turned dark.

* * *

><p>The residents of Lima, Ohio never felt the need to change. Nothing had ever had them re-think their choices or doubt the security of their home but the death of Christopher Hudson brought on that change. Carol had given birth to their son through medically induced labor. Her husbands death left her at a loss. She didn't eat and hardly slept. Leroy and Hiram had no alternative but to get her checked. She didn't put up fight, argue, or cry she simply ghosted through whatever she needed to do.<p>

Finn Hudson was born a healthy kid. He was small, fragile even but he was healthy. Leroy and Hiram felt a bittersweet happiness. They hurt for the boy who would never meet his father. All they could do was promise he found out from them the good man he was.

They stayed with Carol for the first month. They helped around the house and anything Finn may have needed. No matter how many times they attempted talking to her she didn't respond. All they'd get was a nod or a glance. Leroy held Finn in his arms while Hiram fixed his crib. They hadn't expected Carol to walk in and ask for her son. It was the first time she'd held him. She didn't attempt to when she'd been at the hospital. Hiram and Leroy watched as she shushed the crying baby in her arms. They checked up on her the next few months until the birth of their daughter. Hiram watched over her while Leroy stopped by Carol's to ensure everything was okay. Things seemed to be better and both of them let go of the breath they'd been holding at seeing her keep going for her son.

Before they knew it the kids were five. Rachel seemed to have a bit of a speech problem slurring her words from time to time They'd taken her to the doctor only to find out that the reason it would occur is because of the speed at which she was attempting to talk. It didn't allow her to distinguish each word and instead spoke them in sets. Both prepared themselves for the onslaught of words they'd be listening once she was older.

Just as they had always discussed, Finn and Rachel were friends from the minute they could walk. Always causing mischief whenever they weren't looking. Hiram had a huge inkling their daughter was the instigator blaming Leroy whenever he'd catch her sneaking cookies from their kitchen.

"She learned that from you!"

"Me? I didn't do anything!"

"You did 5 minutes ago! I saw you Leroy; you were shamelessly taking the cookies!"

"I was just grabbing a snack!"

"If you were just 'grabbing a snack'" he air-quoted "Then there's be no reason for you to be looking over your shoulder like some bird and slowly sneak your hand into the jar!"

"A bird! You're comparing me to a bird?"

"Well I can't think of any better comparisons right now! The point is that if you look like your sneaking around _she_ is going to sneak around. Monkey see, monkey do Leroy!"

"You're be—"

A hiccup got their attention. They both turned to see little Rachel Berry walking away with a stack of cookies in her hands.

"Your fault!" Hiram whispered

Leroy mimicked his husband's words before walking out behind him.

* * *

><p>Finn Hudson was still small for his age. He was one of the shorter kids in his class and hated that he couldn't reach his cubby. Even Rachel managed to reach hers. Actually, he still wasn't sure how she got up there especially since they're about the same height. Finn was sitting in his living room drawing random lines on a piece of paper. His mother watched him from the kitchen. She'd grown to resent him. If she hadn't been pregnant her husband would have never worked that hard. He wouldn't have pushed himself to be at everyone's beck and call. He'd still be here with her. She could have as many kids as she wanted but their was only one Chris and Finn took him away from her. She watched as the crayon he'd been holding glided against the table and snapped. She stomped over to him, grabbed him by the arm and tossed him on the ground.<p>

"Do you see what you did! You just ruined your fathers table!"

"Sorry.."

"Sorry! That's not going to fix this is it?"

She grabbed him by the back of neck and made him stare at the line his crayon caused.

His tears were silently slipping. Carol hadn't noticed until one landed on the table. She got on her knees and pulled on his face hard."You're crying?" she laughed "Should I buy you a wig and some dresses too? That way you can cry like a little girl all day long."

He tried to stop but his tears kept coming down. A sob made its way up his throat and before he knew he was being flung onto the ground. He crawled away as fast as he could but was dragged back by his feet. Carol grabbed the remaining crayons from the table and tossed them across the room. She looked at Finn's drawing and it only further angered her. The random lines looked like big stick figures. One had short brown hair, the other short black hair and what she supposed were the arms intersected. She ripped it to shreds and tossed it at him. She saw him crawl over by the couch, laughed and sent him to clean it all up.

It was barely October and as the months passed it only got worse.

* * *

><p>The Fabray's had moved to Lima in hopes of providing a more unified childhood for their daughters. One in which they'd grow to know the people as much as the actual location. They were a relatively quiet family. Very discreet but always willing to be a helping hand at community events. In fact, they were usually the first to show up and the last to leave. They almost seemed like the kind of family straight out of a TV show. Their clothing was always immaculate thier mannerisms poised and ... It was their daughters that reminded their neighbors they really were just like any other family. Charlotte and Quinn Fabray gave their parents a run for their money. Those girls were "the terrible twos" incarnate. As if their identical appearance didn't make it hard enough to distiguish them their personalities simply added to the confusion. It seemed like thier parent's were the only ones who could know for a fact which one was which, though, even they had their hard days. Still, the girls followed in their parents footsteps and whenever the setting called for it they were just as refined. That's when people could notice the difference. While Quinn Fabray was more quiet than her counterpart she seemed to exude just as much confidence. However, she was always quick to answer a question whereas her sister contemplated things a bit longer. The family definitely added a dash of difference to the town.<p>

* * *

><p>"Ders-a-new-gil-in-class."<p>

"Huh?"

"Ders-a-mew-gil-in-class!"

"There's a moodle in class?"

Rachel huffed. She'd been trying to slow down her talking but it proved to be quite the challenge for little Rachel Berry.

"There's a new girl in class!"

"Oh! She should play with us."

Rachel nodded. She looked over at the little blonde girl sitting across the room in her sundress she reminded Rachel of the sun. Her hair was shiny and her dress was bright it made little Rachel Berry smile.

"She's-willy-pretty."

Finn nodded before quickly shaking his head in disagreement.

Rachel looked at him in shock. How could Finn not think sunshine was pretty?

"You're.." she put her finger near her temple and started to move it in quick circular motions.

"Am not!" Finn shouted

"Are too!"

"A-"

"Rachel, Finn, do I need to take away your good kid stars?"

Rachel's eyes widened at the question. She had the most gold stars out of everyone in the class. There was no way she was going to let Mrs. Perman take them away.

She motioned that her lips were sealed, flashed her teacher a big smile and went back to her drawing.

Mrs. Perman smiled back at both kids and walked away.

"Am not crazy." Finn whispered.

"Are too!" Rachel whispered back before pushing herself up off her chair and marching to the little girl who reminded her of the sun.

"Hi!" she stuck out her hand enthusiastically "I'm Rachel Berry!"

The little girl looked up at her slightly bewildered. Why was she sticking her hand out at her? Maybe she wanted her snacks. No way was she going to give her, her snacks.

Rachel lowered her hand once she noticed the little girl wouldn't be shaking it. She took in a deep breath before attempting to talk.

"What's your name?"

"Quinn."

"Just Quinn?"

"Quinn Fabray."

"Hmm, Quinn Fabray I-nade-you-dis-dwaing!"

Quinn was more than a little scared. She didn't know what language she was speaking. She and her sister had a secret language but she didn't know this one and she didn't want to seem weird.

"Sorry," Rachel apologized "I made you this drawing."

Rachel stuck out her drawing of what she figured was Finn, Quinn, and herself standing on the grass with a ball next to them and a sun with glasses on.

"You're really pretty like the sun and those dollies in the store."

Quinn took the drawing and smiled up at her. There began a new friendship.

"Jungle gym?" Finn asked

Rachel looked at Quinn and after receiving a nod of agreement she skipped toward the dome shaped monkey bars.

"I want to go up."

"You can't Finn."

"Yes I can."

"No. You can fall and get a scratch."

"I won't."

"Yes, an- huh? Quinn how'd you get over there?"

Finn's eyes followed Rachel's line of vision only to see a little girl who looked exactly Quinn begin her climb up the monkey bars.

"Quinn-get-own-fr-der!"

Rachel huff was loud this time. "Quinn get down!"

"I'm not a Quinn."

The little girl called down. Rachel looked at Finn point from one direction to the other and couldn't help but roll her eyes at him completely annoyed.

His mouth kept opening and closing but no words were coming out. Rachel finally looked over and saw Quinn in her sundress standing next to her. She looked back up at the monkey bars and the saw the other girl sitting at the top.

She screamed, jumped and started tugging on Finn's arm so they could runaway. Quinn was looking down at the ground and the other girl seemed lost.

"We're twins."

"Twins?"

"Yeah like Phil and Lil from _The Rugrats_ cept' we're both girls"

"_The Rugrats_?" Rachel questioned.

"Mhm, we're sisters."

Rachel walked toward Quinn and poked her just to make sure she was real. The she looked up at the other girl and realized she was wearing a blue dress instead of yellow.

"Cool!" Finn finally exclaimed. He began his climb up the monkey bars and when he reached the top sat next to the little girl. "What's your name?"

"Charlotte."

"I'm Finn."

They both sat their swinging there legs through one of the gaps caused by the monkey bars.

"Do you, um, want to go jump rope?" Quinn asked.

Rachel was still a little freaked out but Quinn still reminded her of sunshine so she just smiled and started skipping off.

* * *

><p>All of the kids were at Rachel's house playing in the backyard. The Berry's thought it'd be a good idea to meet the Fabray's and invited them over for a BBQ.<p>

"What was the secret code you tried talking?"

"Secret code?"

"Mhm, you use it a lot."

"She talks to fast," Finn informed her.

"Oh."

"Yeah, I have to slow down."

"Are you sick?"

"I don't think so."

"My sister got sick once but she didn't talk fast she talked really slow and her voice sounded funny."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she got better though."

Charlotte came running toward them and tagged Finn. He got up and chased after her leaving Quinn and Rachel behind.

"You have a lot of good kid stickers."

Rachel smiled. Her good kid stickers were something she was really happy about.

"My daddy's always tell me how to be a good kid."

"I'm going to have that many."

Rachel's smile turned into a frown.

"No you won't."

"Yeah, my mommy and daddy tell me how to be a good kid too."

"You can't beat me."

"Yes I can." Quinn smiled at her, stood up and all of a sudden tagged her. Rachel was chasing Quinn and didn't notice Finn crossing her path. They both fell down on the grass but Finn was crying before Rachel. Leroy and Hiram ran over to them each one checking to make sure they were okay. Rachel stopped crying after about a minute but Finn was hollering in pain. Leroy asked him where it hurt and when Finn pointed at his stomach they saw a large purple welt. Rachel gasped at the sight and started crying again.

"I'm-sowy-i'm-sowy-I'm-a-ad-id-i'm sowy"

"Honey, you're not a bad kid don't say that."

"ook-daddy! Wook!"

Leroy picked Finn up gently and took him into the house. Quinn and Charlotte stood beside their parents unsure of what to do. They'd never seen an owie that big. After a quick exchange between the Berry's and the Fabray's the girls left.

Rachel was standing next to Finn who was now eating a Popsicle while he lied on the couch.

"Are you okay?" Rachel sniffled.

"Don't cry. It doesn't hurt anymore."

"I'm sorry for making you cry."

"It's okay."

They both sat together both their hands clasped tight together as they watched _The Rugrats._

* * *

><p>As the month's passed the Berry's noticed more than a few questionable bruises on Finn's body. No matter how hard they'd tried talking to Carol she denied anything they asked and eventually prohibited them from going near Finn. They reached a point where they could no longer say nothing and informed CPS. They called into question some of the marks they found on Finn but couldn't tie them into abuse since they could have easily been formed from playing at school just as he claimed. The investigation had been on-going for about 8 months until they found a good enough reason to remove him from the house. Carol was furious. The Berry's did what they could in order to get Finn to come home with them. A load of paperwork later they were able to take Finn home with them 2 weeks later.<p>

"Finn!" Rachel wrapped her arms around him but quickly let go when she heard him yelp in pain.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you again?"

"I'm okay!" he smiled and took her by the hand.

"You're going to live with us!"

"Uh-huh"

"So now you're my brother!"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah!"

Hiram went spoke to Carol only to have her kick him out of her house. He kept insisting until she's exhausted herself. She confessed what she felt. Her anger, her resentment, her misery. She threw things and yelled at him. All he could do was duck and silently watch. There were times where he felt he would need to call the police and hoped with all his might it wouldn't go down to that. Luckily, it didn't. He pulled a crying Carol into his arms and told her she couldn't keep Finn. She was self-destructing and hurting him on the way. She eventually confessed to CPS. By state law she was required to serve a few years in prison. She signed custody off to Leroy and Hiram but they had their battle with the law since they were a same-sex couple. The next few years proved to be exhausting.

* * *

><p>"Stop mumbling! Can't you talk?"<p>

Rachel's eyes were searching for someone, anyone who could help her. Instead she had an eyeful of a 11 year old Dave Karofsky. He seemed to think that her occasional slur was just a way for her to brush off his request of friendship. To be honest, he kind of scared her. She'd seen how he made fun of the kids in her class and that intimidation caused her mix up the sounds.

"I-well-I."

"What? You think you're to cool or something?" He took a few steps toward her, "What's that?" He glanced at papers in her hand. She'd printed out lyrics of her favorite songs in hopes of memorizing and practicing them during lunch. Didn't seem like that would be option anymore since he ripped them out of her hands.

"You can't sing! You can barely even talk!"

His advancement toward her continued.

"You're a loser. You even dress weird," he sneered.

She looked down at her outfit. She was wearing a checkered vest and a skirt. She didn't think it looked weird. Maybe her socks were little a weird, they were kind of long but that was it. She'd have to remind herself not to wear those socks anymore.

"See! You can't even say anything."

He knocked her books out of her hands but just as quickly he was hissing in pain. His hand shot up to the back of his head. Quinn was standing behind him with a scowl on her face.

"You better say you're sorry."

"You can't hit me!"

"I just did."

"I'm not gonna say sorry to her."

"Then I'll just have to-"

"What's going on?"

Three sets of eyes glanced over at Charlotte. She had a notepad in her hand and her hall monitor sash hung over her shoulder. Now that they were a bit older it was easy for most to recognize each sister. Rachel noticed from early on how Charlie tended to be very care-free with her appearence whereas Quinn tended to be very chic. Small subtleties also gave away their identities but sometimes it was scary how alike they could manage to be.

"He was picking on Rachel," Quinn spat.

"I wasn't. Your sister just hit me out of nowhere!"

"I'll hit you again if you don't shut up."

Charlotte sighed. She looked at Rachel who seemed at a loss and the last thing she wanted was for her sister to get in trouble.

"Do you have a hall pass Dave?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Well where is it?"

"It's right.." He searched his pockets but came out empty handed.

Charlotte wrote up a slip and handed it to him.

"The Principal?"

"Yup, no hallpass means detention."

"You can't give me detention!"

"I can't but the principal can."

He looked indignant, "Good, I need to talk to him about _you_ anyway!" He pointed at Quinn.

Quinn slapped his finger away.

"Go ahead, I've got a few things to tell him myself and she'll believe me before she believes you."

"It's true," Charlotte agreed.

It looked like he wanted to say something before he mumbled a "whatever" and stalked off.

Quinn started picking up Rachel's books while Charlotte handed her a pass and the papers Dave had tossed.

"I have mine."

"Well knowing Quinn she doesn't."

Quinn stood up and smiled taking the pass from her and handing Rachel her stuff.

"Thanks Charlie."

"You owe me."

Rachel and Quinn watched as she left. They both walked off together since they still had a few minutes of class left.

"You shouldn't have hit him Quinn."

"He was being mean to you."

"Yes but that didn't mean you should've hit him."

"Well, I'm not sorry I did."

"I know your not but I thought I should at least tell you I didn't approve."

Quinn nodded. "What're those papers?"

Rachel looked down she didn't feel like practicing anymore.

"Nothing."

"Let me see."

Quinn gently pried the papers away and looked down at them.

"Hey! I love this song!"

"Yeah me too."

"Were you going to sing them? We have our end of the year talent show."

"I can't sing," Rachel stated remembering David's words "I can barely talk."

"Don't say that Rachel. You've gotten a lot better."

"It doesn't matter."

Quinn jumped from Rachel's side right in front of her. Rachel's eyes went wide in surprise unsure of what was going on.

"Rach, I've heard you sing before. You're great! If Dave said something I-" she saw Rachel glare at her and quickly changed her speech "I'll practice with you everyday if you want. Soon you won't even remember you had a speech problem! It'll be perfect!"

Quinn's smile was contagious before Rachel knew it she was agreeing and walking happily to class. When they made it to the door she noticed a slip hanging out of Quinn's pocket.

"What's that?"

Quinn looked down and smirked, "It's Karofsky's hall pass. Part of it was sticking out of his pocket before I hit up so I grabbed it."

Rachel just shook her head and laughed. Quinn Fabray was something else.

* * *

><p>"We were tied."<p>

"What are you talking about?" A 16 year old Rachel responded.

She was lying on her stomach, her feet swinging up in the air with a pillow tucked under her chin. She'd been going through sheet music for the past 2 hours in order to find a song for Glee Club.

"I re-counted my Kindergarten gold stars Berry, we were tied!"

"Quinn Fabray, lying is an awful quality."

"I'm sure it is so it's a good thing I'm not lying."

"Yes you are because we both know I graduated Kindergarten with 82 gold stars. There is absolutely no possible way you caught up. Especially when taking into account all the times you got in trouble for talking to me."

Rachel felt her bed sink in and her body bounce slightly up as her best friend plopped herself beside her.

"That was your plan all along wasn't it? You'd start talking to me just so I could get in trouble and lose stars."

"Quinn I hardly think my 5 year old logic was able to put me that many steps ahead. I'm flattered that you think so highly of me and my intelligence but even I have to admit that I was in no way plotting your downfall."

Quinn took some of the scattered sheet music into her hands and set the down on the floor.

"Do you ever run out of breath?"

"No, my vocal training has given me the ability to multiply my breath intake to outtake ratio allowing me to speak and sing as I please."

"Remind me to find your vocal coach and chase him out of town."

"I will do no such thing." Rachel turned to look at Quinn for the first time since she got there. She was still in her cheerleading uniform. Rachel glance at the clock 5:04 PM right on time as always. With the years it became a regularity to see the kids come and go as they pleased.

"How was practice?"

"Torture. You know how Sylvester works us. She's out of her mind."

"She is a bit unbalanced."

"A bi-?"

"Hey Rach do you—Oh, hey Quinn."

"Hey Finn."

"What did you need Finn?"

"I was just wondering if you had time to help me go over my verses for Glee Club."

"Of course I do!" Rachel sat up and motioned for him to come in.

"I guess that's my cue to leave."

Quinn hopped off the bed jumping up to pat Finn on the head.

"You can stay if you'd like Quinn."

"It's alright, I'm going to see if Charlie made it out of practice alive. Coach had her run extra suicides today. Would she do now?"

"It's what she didn't do."

"What's that suppo-"

"I'll call you later Rach."

Quinn leaned down and placed a light kiss on Rachel's cheek. "Bye Finn."

"Bye Quinn."

Finn looked over at her sister; he was worried that if her smile got any bigger it'd eat her face. His face contorted in a mixture of astonishment and disgust. Now that would just be weird to witness. He shook his head and listened to her vocal advice instead.

* * *

><p>"Do you want to see her?"<p>

"Not really."

"I wouldn't want to see her either."

"I can still remember everything. Every hit, every scream, everything."

"Maybe you should talk to her."

"Not yet."

"Okay. Not yet."

Finn and Charlie sat on the monkey bars where they met. Carol had been released and had contacted Hiram and Leroy. She wanted to see Finn but they gave him the choice. In the end, he didn't think he'd ever want to see her but after thinking it through he knew he'd have questions he'd want answered. It just wasn't the right time yet but as he thought about it he was sure there wouldn't ever be a "right time."

* * *

><p>"That one kid Sam asked her."<p>

"The bottle blonde?"

"Yeah, can you believe it?"

"Well yeah, I can I mean he's constantly got his eyes on her."

"He does?"

"What planet are you living on Finn? His leering is more than obvious."

"I don't know I don't pay attention to that kind of stuff."

"Well you should she's you sister after all."

"Well what do you think _your_ sister is gonna say when she finds out."

"Knowing Quinn, she's going to flip. It's her own fault though. She doesn't want to make a move that's her loss."

"Q&R 8 o'clock."

"Wh- that's 3 o'clock you doof."

"Oh, sorry."

"Hey guys!" Rachel pulled out the chair next to Charlie, "Sorry we're late. The rain wasn't being all the friendly tonight."

"Rach, you're 10 minutes early."

"Yes but I'm usually 15 minutes early thereby making me late by 5 minutes to this little gathering."

Charlie rolled her eyes and took a sip of her hot chocolate. She glanced at her sister who was smiling, quite frankly, like a bit of an idiot. This was the perfect opportunity.

"So Rach, what'd you tell Sam?"

Finn was motioning some slicing effect over his neck with his hand but Charlie decided to ignore him.

"What about Sam?" Quinn asked.

"Sammie boy decided to ask our future Broadway star to Homecoming."

"He did?"

Rachel nodded. "He asked me today after Glee."

"I was with you after Glee."

"It was when you went to get your books from your locker."

"What a little-"

"And what'd you say?" Charlie pressed.

"Yeah what did you say Rach?"

"I, uh, I told him I'd think about it."

"So you're considering going with him?"

Rachel sat up a little straighter. "I don't see why not. It's not like anyone else has asked me."

"Interesting."

"Finn may I have a word."

"Sure Rach."

Both siblings walked off near the door. Meanwhile the Fabray twins sat silently at the table.

"Why did you tell Charlie?"

"It sort of slipped. Are you mad?"

"Y-no I just wanted to tell Quinn myself."

"Why do you care so much? Puck asked her this week too."

Rachel's head snapped up. "He did?"

"Well yeah, he like gave her chocolates and stuff."

"You're such a coward. You should've been the first one to ask her."

"Shut up Charlie."

"Now she's going to be going to Homecoming with your little male clone."

"I said, shut up Charlie."

"I know what you said. I'm just trying to knock some sense into you before I have to deal with you moping around the house."

"I'll figure something out."

"Well figure it out quick before you lose your chance."

"It's more complicated than that."

"Only because you're making it that way."

Rachel and Finn returned to the table about 5 minutes later. The rest of the groups time together was spent in silence.

* * *

><p>"Why are you so quiet?"<p>

"I'm thinking Quinn."

"About what?"

"I don't see how that's relevant."

"It's relevant because your silence is starting to affect my ability to think."

"That's a bit redundant don't you think? My silence is affecting your ability to think? If anything it should be providing you a more peaceful atmosphere in which you can delve into your thoughts free of distractions."

"Berry, you know what I mean."

"I'm afraid I don't Quinn."

Quinn pulled the car over and turned on her emergency signals.

"I'm not driving you home until you tell me what's wrong."

"Fine I'll just walk."

Rachel was out of the car before Quinn could blink. Grumbling to herself she got out and trailed behind her.

"Rachel get in the car."

"No thank you."

"Rachel it's raining and you're going to catch a cold."

"I'm sure I'll be just fine. My immune system is quite strong."

"This is ridiculous Rachel."

"I agree. Now if you can please just leave me alone I'd be very grateful."

"That's not going to happen."

Quinn grabbed Rachel by the wrist and started pulling her toward the car.

"Quinn Fabray you let me go this instant!"

"No."

"I mean it. I won't ever talk to you again."

"Fine. You can start that once your safe and warm inside your house."

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to Homecoming with Puck?"

"What!"

"I'm sure you heard me Quinn."

"I'm not going to Homecoming with _Puck_."

"Well Finn.."

"Charlie!"

"What does Charlie have to do with any of this?"

"Nothing. Look Rach, I'm not going with Puck and I really would rather you not go with Sam. Our friendship means everything to me. You know I like you Rach. I've told you that before. I'm just scared that if things don't work out I'll lose you completely and if that were to happen I'm pretty sure I'd go crazy or at the very least drive Charlie insane. At the same time i'm not the kind of girl who likes to wonder 'what if?' but this isn't just my choice it's yours too and I'll respect anything you choose."

Rachel leaned up on her tip toes and placed a soft kiss to Quinn's lips. The rain slipping over their faces made everything feel surreal. Rachel's lips easily glided over Quinn's and the contrast between the heat of Quinn's tongue and the cold rain sent shivers up Rachel's arms. The slight shiver she experienced had them pull apart. They rested their fore heads against eachother. The smiles on their lips could only be described as serene. Rachel started giggling before tossing her arms around Quinn's neck and burrowing her head there.

"You should: I still think that you came up with evil plans to get me in trouble just so you could have the most gold stars." Quinn whispered.

"I guess you'll never know." Rachel whispered back.

* * *

><p>They were twenty. It'd been two years since Rachel and Quinn moved to New York. It was what they had always planned. To say that they didn't get home sick from time to time would be a lie. While it wasn't the actual place they missed, it was the people they left behind that made it special. Luckily, they fell into a nice rhythm. One holiday here, another there, and it worked for all parties involved.<p>

Thanksgiving was approaching and both their families would be visiting them this time.

Thanks to Rachel they'd been preparing _two weeks_ _before_ anyone was meant to arrive. She'd bought enough deserts to satisfy anyone's craving. The overall amount of food Rachel got back with left Quinn both scared and hungry. If she hadn't known any better she would've sworn Rachel not only invited their family but their entire neighborhood. Quinn knew it was an exaggeration but then again, with Rachel, she learned to expect the unexpected.

How her girlfriend even managed to hall back every grocery bag on her own left her a little more than confused.

The holiday season was more than a little stressful for Quinn. She was the operator during these times. Anyone and everyone would call her, far more times than she could count, asking if there was anything they should bring. Asking how the preparations were going. Asking for advice on what to wear. It was question after question. By the end of it all Quinn was sure her voice was going to give out on her. Rachel, however, had certain late night _"tactics"_ that reassured Quinn her voice was more than fine.

Their dinner was smooth sailing as always. Everyone sat around the living room, falling into pleasant conversations with each other. Finn announced that he would soon be starting his residency at a local hospital. Quinn eyed her girlfriend suspiciously. It wasn't like Rachel to be so composed after recieving news that big. I guess it made sense since after everyone's enthusiasm began to simmer, Rachel's exploded. She bounced up and down, clapping and dragging Finn off to the side so they could talk more about his plans. Quinn watched her girlfriend affectionately before getting up and pulling her own sibling to a side.

That was the night she disclosed her plans to propose. Charlie, hesitant with her idea at first, asked if she was sure that was something she wanted to do at such a young age. Quinn had no doubts in her mind.

The years they'd spent together had its moments. They were filled with all levels of good and bad. All the way from elementary to junior high to high school and finally college. They somehow always ended up right back with each other. Even when they tried to avoid it things played out that way. So yes, Quinn was positive it was the right choice she was positive it was what she wanted. Proposing didn't mean they'd have to jump right into marriage but the meaning behind the symbol only solidified their relationship further. Not just to themselves or the family but to everyone. Charlie placed a light kiss on her cheek and hugged her. She knew Quinn had thought things through. She didn't even need to hear her reasoning in order to know what she felt or why she wanted to take such a big step. All of it was evident in Quinn's actions. The way she looked at Rachel and even how she spoke to her were clear indicators of the way she felt. Since they were kids it was obvious those two would always be a huge part in the others life whether it be as friends or more.

It was getting late and as much as the hostesses would've liked to have everyone stay in their brownstone there wasn't enough room. Finn would be driving back to Albany and offered to give his father's a ride to their hotel. Unfortunately, Quinn's parents refused Finn's offer feeling their hotel was out of his way. In reality it was just ten more minutes down the road from the Berry's destination. Rachel was adamant on going with Finn so that she could ride back home with Quinn after the Fabray's were settled. Charlie, getting a headache from all the "yes'" and "no's" being tossed around said her goodbye's and hailed down a taxi.

Quinn's car was in front of Finn's as they drove down the same lane. Had they left earlier or maybe even later, by a minute or an hour, the events that occurred might have been evaded.

Quinn watched as the traffic light in front of her turned green. She was 1/4 of the way down the road when someone ran a red light. Quinn slammed on her breaks thereby initiating the same reaction from Finn. His, however, wasn't as quick. The light had turned red and his car shoved Quinn's forward. The truck that had attempted to speed down the road hit the passenger's side of Quinn's car. The impact knocked both vehicles away from each other and while the truck remained in an upright position Quinn's flipped onto its hood.

It didn't even take a second for Rachel to get out of the car and run down to Quinn's. Finn called for an ambulance and rushed out by his sister's side. She pushed him away, unsure of what she should do to help. She didn't scream but the sobs that were making their way up her throat were uncontrollable. She was pleading for someone, anyone to answer her. Quinn and her parents were completely unresponsive, all three Fabrays were hung limply from their seats. Rachel dropped onto her knees reaching for the handle but almost instantly pulled her hand back. She didn't know if she'd cause more harm than good attempting to move them. The glass that had pressed into Rachel's leg had begun to make their presence known but she didn't care. It wasn't until arms grasped onto her shoulders and moved her out of the way that the pain shot through her. She knew the paramedics were there but their presence did nothing to ease her nerves. Everything became a blur. Words were being shouted out, people were scattering everywhere, others were watching and the next thing she knew she was in an ambulance beside her unconscious girlfriend.

That night was filled with every emotion imaginable. Judy Fabray, who had been sitting beside her daughter the moment of the accident passed away a few days later. She had suffered severe head trauma and as much as the doctors worked to alleviate some of the swelling their efforts were futile. The doctor went on to inform Charlie of all the physical wounds her sister and father had suffered before informing her that they were comatose. As always the doctor apologized and promised to keep an eye on them.

Mr. Fabray woke up two months later while it took Quinn ten months to finally react.

During and after that time frame Rachel couldn't control her hostility toward Finn. She couldn't stand hearing his name, nor his voice, much less see him. She didn't know whether or not her feelings were justified. She didn't know whether or not she was being unfair but she frankly didn't care. Her only concern was the well being of the girl who was not only her girlfriend but her best friend.

Quinn's recovery was painful both emotionally and physically. She'd wake up on certain days feeling great and on others she could hardly move. The medications she was prescribed would help but she worried about becoming dependent on any drug. Rachel and Charlie would always be by her side. There were nights when neither could sleep worried that something might happen to Quinn. After a year things slowly got better. Quinn had continued school online and was finally able to go back. She did what she could in order to get Finn and Rachel talking again. Little by little it worked. Finn finished his residency, married Charlie and made sure he was always clued in on Quinn's condition. He promised Quinn that he'd do whatever he could in order to help her and stuck by that promise, always making sure to provide Quinn with medications he felt would help.

However, Charlie knew her sister. She knew that if she wanted to she could hide things better than anyone imagined. She knew Quinn wouldn't Rachel to worry about her and while Quinn was always open and honest with Rachel she also knew there'd be times when she'd hold back on how much pain she was actually feeling. Knowing that, Charlie made Quinn promise her to at least let_ her_ know when she wasn't feeling well. She promised.

As her recovery continued, she made sure to visit her father and asked Rachel to wait for her as she said goodbye to her mom.

It was that day that she and Rachel talked about every fear that had developed over the course of that time. It was that day that they talked about the future they hoped to have and it was that night that Quinn proposed to Rachel.

* * *

><p><strong>I've got part of the next chapter done but would really like to know what you all think :) Thanks for reading!<strong>


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